


The Blossom In His Hair

by bellacatbee



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Edwardian, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - World War I, Class Differences, Class Issues, Edwardian Period, M/M, Michael Being an Idiot, Misunderstandings, Officer Michael, POV Adam Milligan, Permanent Injury, Returning Home, Romance, Secret Relationship, Self Confidence Issues, Serious Injuries, Soldier Adam, Soldiers, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 18:04:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2591069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellacatbee/pseuds/bellacatbee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Micheal might have been an officer, but he told Adam he loved him, that the difference in their ranks didn't matter.  Then the bomb fell, Michael was discharge and he cut off all contact with Adam. </p><p>Finding him again was the only thing Adam could do if he wanted answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Blossom In His Hair

**Author's Note:**

> This does actually have a happy ending. I hope the summary doesn't put you off!

The trees are in full bloom, the branches heavy with blossom when Adam finds him. 

The blossom is white and beautiful, like the petals thrown at weddings. It shakes loose from the trees, rattled by the wind which is usually forceful for the mild spring they’ve been having, and spills across the ground. Some of it falls into Adam’s hair, clinging to him. 

There will be no wedding for Adam. No blushing bride, no handsome husband. The only man he has ever loved, could ever loved, is sitting in the garden, under the bow of the tree, pretending to read so he doesn’t have to look up a the boy he abandoned. 

Adam _was_ just a boy when they met. He was a conscript, frightened, unworldly. Michael was a gentleman, an officer. He took him in his arms and made him feel safe. Even though death was a constant threat, Adam felt safe.

And then the bomb fell and tore Michael from his arms. 

Adam can see the reminders of it here - the stick Michael has to walk with, the scar across one eye that will never open again. There are other wounds, wounds hidden by cloth or just simply hidden. Michael could never come back to the battle field with the wounds he suffered and Adam had to go on without him. 

And now he’s here, in Michael’s garden, in the grounds of the fine house that mark Michael out as the gentleman he always was and Adam trembles.

"You said it didn’t matter," he snarls, the words like bullets, intended to hit, to hurt. "You said war made us equal. It didn’t matter that I had no name, that I was some poor woman’s son. You said you loved me."

Michael doesn’t say anything. 

"You never wrote to me. You never…when you were discharged, that was the last I heard of you. I was…I gave you everything and I thought…"

Adam falters. His anger still burns bright, his fury at his abandonment, but now it’s harder to hold on to the truth of it. Standing in the rich, expansive garden, his reminded of how insignificant he is. A bastard son, a nobody. Good enough for Michael to fuck in between the shelling, but not good enough for him now they’re home.

The battle field was not home. Everything blurred there. The distinctions between their classes blurred. It didn’t matter who Adam was or who Michael was. All that mattered was that they had each other to cling to. 

Home hasn’t changed. It’s still as rigid as it has always been.

Michael only has to yell and the butler or gardener will arrive and force Adam to leave. Michael could even call the police and have Adam arrested for trespassing. He can do that now. He has power here. They are not equal at home.

"I was stupid, wasn’t I?" Adam asks, his voice dropping low. "I thought it all meant something. I thought it would still mean something when we came back, but nothing’s changed. You were just amusing yourself and I was…I was stupid. I listened to your pretty speeches and believed you like some gullible idiot. I thought you were different, I thought you really didn’t care about my circumstances, but I was just an easy fuck. You couldn’t have any of those officer boys, their daddies might make a fuss, but I haven’t got a daddy so you could have me." 

The realization hits him hard, like a punch to the gut. He should never have come here, should never have raked up the past. All it’s done is reveal a truth he never wanted knowing. 

"I…I’ll just go now. I’ll leave."

He turns, brushing at his eyes which have started to fill with tears and begins to walk away. He never wanted that. He wanted to come here and make Michael ashamed, wanted to see him sorry, but all he’s done is confirm his worst fears. Michael was just doing what gentleman always do and Adam was the one who should be ashamed because he believed it. 

"It wasn’t like that," Michael barks out suddenly. 

His voice is deep, gruff, as if he isn’t used to speaking. 

Adam looks back over his shoulder to see Michael struggling to his feet, leaning heavily against his stick as he tries his hardest to catch up with Adam. He’ll never manage if Adam doesn’t stop, so Adam stops still, standing underneath the tree with the blossom falling in his hair.

"It wasn’t like that," Michael says again as he gingerly makes his way towards Adam. "I meant everything and I still mean it, but look at me, Adam. I’m a cripple. I’m half-blind. I’m twisted and ugly and full of scars. People try to avoid me, try to avoid looking at me because I repulse them." His voice catches, the indignity of it all coming back to him in full force, but then Michael swallows, composing himself, and continues. "How could I ask you to still love me when I look like this? I’m not the man I was, but you’re young and beautiful. You don’t need me and I wasn’t about to make you honor promises you made when things were different." 

He stops struggling and stands, defeated, staring at Adam out of his one good eye. Adam takes him in - takes all of him in - and feels his heart flutter. Michael is still handsome. He might be bare his scars, he might have wounds, but he is still the man Adam loves. 

"You should have asked me if it changed anything. Then you would have known that it didn’t, and you wouldn’t have broken my heart by making me think you were just using me," Adam snaps, his anger coming back full force.

Anger at Michael for not having faith in him, for keeping them apart because of his fear but also anger at the world for making Michael believe he was undeserving of love after everything he’s been through. Adam would have shown him that was never the case if Michael had only asked. 

"I didn’t want to hear you say the words," Michael says quietly. "I thought this way would be easier on both of us if I just went. You wouldn’t have to break my heart then."

"I love you," Adam says, shortening the distance between them quickly. "I love you and I’m going to kiss you now, so if you have any objections to that, you should make them now."

Michael smiles. “I have no objections at all,” he says, and sweeps one arm around Adam to pull him closer still. 

Adam kisses him, clutching at the front of Michael’s jacket, holding on to him even though he knows he should be the one supporting Michael. Michael doesn’t let him though. He drops his stick and slowly, achingly, they sink to the ground, still wrapped in each other. 

"Stay," Michael murmurs between kisses. "Stay with me like we talked about. I have a big bed and it’s much softer than the ground."

Adam laughs, he laughs until he cries and he clings tight to Michael, never wanting to let the man go from his side.

"I’ll stay," he promises. "You can’t get rid of me now."


End file.
